


I Wish I'd Been Born in a Past Life

by viridian sprout (idyII)



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Adopted Sibling Relationship, Gen, Good Ganondorf (Legend of Zelda), Horses, Other, Rehydrated Ganon - Freeform, Reincarnation, Royalty, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), The Triforce, Time Skips, and also a walking disaster, link is a farmboy at heart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:34:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22868710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idyII/pseuds/viridian%20sprout
Summary: All Link really wants is a peaceful time of it after almost singlehandedly killing a giant oozing malice monster. Maybe spend his time in the stables, take care of some horses, raise some goats- something other than worrying about the monsters in the wilds and running around the entire continent. Not that he didn't like the adventure, but it would be nice not to almost die every other day.Then he wakes up five hundred years into the future, with the same face, in a completely different life where Zelda is Queen and took him in after his knighted parents died. She's still his best friend, still has the same face, still has the same voice...but he's the only one who seems to remember their past life, and not everyone in the castle likes him as much in this one.There's also the fact that no one seems to know anything about a chosen Hero, a princess to combat evil, or a Demon King. And the human form of that (rehydrated) Demon King is set to arrive at Hyrule Castle to make peace and trade agreements.
Relationships: Ganondorf & Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Ganondorf & Link (Legend of Zelda), Impa & Link (Legend of Zelda), Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 103





	1. Chapter 1

The thing was, Link didn’t dream all that often. Most of the time, especially since he’d initially woken up in the Shrine of Resurrection, he went out like a light and stayed that way until morning. It was probably because he’d been running around the country fighting monsters most of the time, and the exhaustion simply made him sleep. Even after the Calamity had been defeated, his routine had stuck.

Occasionally he would have short, odd dreams, where it seemed he was speaking to himself, or maybe someone who was just like him. But those never lasted long, or held onto him so well. The dream he was in the midst of now felt more like a pit of bottomless bog. He’d almost sunk in one once, early on in his journey, and had climbed out covered in muck by the skin of his teeth. His dream felt like that- something he couldn’t climb out of. It wasn’t as if he was weighted down, but he was disoriented, feeling like he was being tugged every which way.

It felt like someone slapped him when he woke up. it was so convincing he was rubbing his cheek when he sat up, feeling dizzy, squinting as he tried to make his surroundings come into focus. Where had he fallen asleep again? Somewhere in the half-built Castle Town? The stables?

Given by the hay stuck in his hair, it had apparently been the stables. Link had fallen into a bad habit recently. He couldn’t help it- he just got so sleepy sometimes, and it wasn’t like he could trek all the way back to his bed every time he wanted a cat nap. Besides, if anything happened- he had the Master Sword close by at all times, and no one else could use it.

Yawning, he rolled to his feet and reached for it instinctively. Instead of grasping the handle where it should have been on his back, he came up with empty air. Startled, he twisted his head to look behind him, seeing only the flattened hay where he’d been laying, and turned around as if it would help him find the sword. His hands roamed his clothing, yielding no better results.

 _Shit,_ he thought to himself, something he’d never actually said aloud but thought plenty of times through his travels. Losing the legendary evil-killing sword was not a legendary hero move. If anything, it would probably make people think he was an idiot. Maybe one of the Koroks had taken it? After all, he didn’t actually need it, now, and there was that whole thing about the Sword being returned to its resting place in periods of disuse-

He paused and glanced down at himself. Had he changed before heading to the stable for the afternoon? Well, he must have, though he didn’t remember that well…but he’d been sleeping very deeply, and he still felt disoriented. Compared to losing his _sword_ , wearing a different shirt wasn’t that big a deal. Though it was more…ornate than he was used to. Probably something Zelda had given him and he hadn’t really noticed.

“Sleeping in the hay again?” The new voice startled him so bad he almost lost his balance, which made the unfamiliar man standing at the barn door scowl further. Link didn’t recognize him, but he looked like he was wearing a royal uniform- a new design, maybe? It had the same insignia- so he must have worked in the castle. A lot of Hylians had shown up to work for the castle when Zelda and the Sheikah began rebuilding it. Link had been surprised by their blind faith, but he supposed legends and fairytales had a lot of influence. “Queen Zelda asked for you. Don’t waste her time by making me hunt you down in whatever haystack you fall into, I’ve told you a million times.”

 _You really haven’t,_ Link wanted to say, but his lips felt immobile.

“Hurry up and get back to the throne room already,” the guard (Link presumed he was a guard, since he had a spear) said as he grabbed him by the elbow and started dragging him out of the stable. Link perked up when they passed the stall on the end, spotting an unfamiliar horse inside it, and wondered giddily if Zelda had bought a new one from some far-off place. It had _spots_!

When they got outside, his head swiveled curiously to survey the immediate paddocks where he saw- no, he wasn’t still dreaming- _goats_. Had Zelda gotten him goats?! He’d wanted some ever since he made friends with one on a cliff that kept coming around his house in Hateno. Well…maybe it was a bit much to presume Zelda had gotten them for him specifically. But still. She knew he wanted goats. Very much.

The man’s grumbling caught his attention again. The way he was still tugging him around made Link frown; he wanted to tell him it was rude, but he decided to let it go since it would probably just start an argument. The guy seemed like he was in a hurry anyway, so he would most likely leave when he brought him to Zelda.

With how fast the guy was pulling him through town, Link almost didn’t notice. However, he would’ve had to have been a _complete_ idiot to not notice at all. It made him try to pause, which just made him stumble again (since the guard certainly wasn’t letting him pause), which seemed to juggle his brain even further and make the realization harder to come to.

What was wrong with Castle Town? Well, not- not _wrong_ , but…it certainly hadn’t been like this when he went to sleep.

“You could at least fall asleep in the royal stables, so I wouldn’t have to hike all the way out here,” the guard muttered.

Link didn’t really pay him any attention. They were already speed-walking up the main path to the gate, forcing him to crane his neck to look behind him as he gaped at the town. Surely they hadn’t fully rebuilt it just in the time he’d been asleep?! Everywhere he looked, all he could see were fine-looking buildings with sky blue roofs and miniature spires to match the larger ones on the castle.

And it wasn’t just the town. The castle, too, was completely transformed. There were guards and what he guessed were new servants milling around while he was dragged through, all the way up, until they reached the main castle building. The doors were opened _for_ them by two men with staves, rather than being broken off their hinges.

Inside, it was actually rather…calming compared to the disarray Link had last seen it in. Cream and light blue drapery and fabrics that contrasted with the stark red and gold he seemed to remember clung to the room. The throne, though ornate, was only sat on a few steps, rather than high above.

“Oh, you found him? Thank you, Gaspard,” a familiar voice- quite welcome- chirped from one of the hallways leading to a different wing.

Link turned, an instant smile appearing on his face when he saw Zelda, looking as radiant as she ever had. She’d had a new dress made, apparently- it made her look quite regal.

‘Gaspard’ gave her a respectful nod and still grumbled as he turned to leave the way he’d come in. Link got the feeling he was just perpetually grumpy.

Zelda giggled under her breath, a sound that could challenge any great song, and reached for his hair as she came closer. “Sleeping in the barns near town again? You never change.”

His face flushed as she swept the last of the hay out of his hair. Then, he remembered everything that lay behind them- it was a little hard to forget- and lifted his hands to sign his concerns.

Her brow furrowed as she watched him. “You’re confused? About what?”

He lifted his hand to gesture, as if to say _Literally everything_.

“I think you might’ve hit your head on the way down to the stall floor,” she teased, poking his forehead. “I would say you should rest, but I reckon you’ve gotten enough of that in the past few hours. Besides that, I have a gift for you! Well, I did, but I left it in your room, seeing as I didn’t know when you would roll out of the hay. Why don’t you go take a look? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a matter to attend to.”

She soothed his hair once again, her touch oddly gentle- even for someone as gentle as Zelda- and moved off towards the other hallway, opposite the one she’d emerged from. Link watched her go, feeling his confusion mount to the point he could tell it was going to start to frustrate him.

His room? Where on earth was he going to find that? He’d just been sleeping wherever he wound up until now.

Perplexed, he traveled down the first hallway. He’d traversed the ruins plenty of times- he could at least guess where someone’s room might be. Probably.

It was still weird to see people moving around, doing everyday jobs, carrying food or folded sheets. A few of them gave him odd looks, most likely because he looked so confused, like a stranger wandering around aimlessly.

The goddess took pity on him in the form of someone who- though he didn’t recognize her- felt familiar somehow. A maid with long, curly blue hair bustled towards him, a basket under one arm, a smile on her face as wide as any Link might ever expect anyone to aim at him. “Master Link! You finally show your face. I take it you’re on your way to see that gift Lady Zelda left you?” At his wide-eyed nod, she giggled and patted a wrinkle out of his shirt. It seemed like an unconscious action to her. “Do you mind if I tag along? I just can’t contain myself- I want to see your reaction!”

Well. He didn’t see a reason why not. He nodded quickly, hoping she’d lead him straight to it, and to his relief, she smiled wider and started at a brisk walk that he hurried to match.

“Oh, excellent! Now, I don’t want to spoil anything, but I think you’re going to love it. I should know, I’ve known you since you were a little boy. I know exactly what you like!”

 _Since I was a little boy?_ If question marks could be floating above his head, Link was sure they would have been by now. He had no idea what this woman was talking about, yet he couldn’t sense any lies.

She paid no attention to the guards at the entrance to the hallway she took him down. There were other rooms there, but the doors were all closed; she stopped at one that had a rearing horse engraved into the wood, mane flowing in nonexistent wind.

Link’s confusion reached a peak when he stepped inside and was hit by the strongest sense of déjà vu he’d ever encountered. The room felt like both something he might have picked out as a child and something he would have picked out currently- in high contrast to his bedroom at Hateno, which was simply something someone had built for him. The only thing personal about it was the picture of the Champions on the wall.

There was a raised step to the left, where a large bed sat partially shrouded by a canopy hanging from the ceiling, and among the pillows sat a toy. A…sewn version of Epona? It seemed wildly childish to have in his room, but it was there, for some reason.

Then, closer to center, a tea table sat on another ornate rug with only three chairs around it. A chest and bookshelf sat along the wall and then came a desk by the window, where someone- him?- had left off carving what appeared to be the latest in a line of horse figurines. Opposite, one of those desks with a mirror attached to it- he couldn’t remember what it was called, but he’d seen one in Zelda’s study- sat, with several fancy boxes sitting on it.

There was also a…clear theme. The bedposts had horses carved into them, while the various paintings on the wall featured horses and various other ranch-themed landscapes. On the corner of the desk sat a bridle he’d apparently been fixing.

The maid swept over to the table and patted a box in the center. Link was grateful she’d taken him to the room, but she was looking at him so expectantly now, he supposed he had no other course than to play along.

He reached down and flipped open the box. It was made out of some thin, golden material- like the parcels from the jewelers in Gerudo Town. Indeed, it gave him another sense of déjà vu, since there was jewelry inside.

Earrings. Predictably in the shape of horseshoes.

And they were sapphire, so they were heat resistant.

All right, so it excited him. He was predictable. He liked horses.

The maid let out a happy noise, apparently satisfied with his smile as he put them on. “Oh, I knew you’d like them! It’s a bit of an early birthday present, I know, but in my opinion, what’s the harm? You’re a prince, a bit of extravagance won’t hurt, no matter what anyone else says. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my lord, I do have to finish what I was doing earlier.”

Link’s hands had stilled when she uttered the words ‘you’re a prince.’ The first thing he wondered was if she had a concussion. But no, she was clearly convinced of what she’d said, and she patted him on the head before walking out of the room and shutting the door behind her. The wall scroll hanging on the back, an ink drawing of a herd of horses and cows, stared at him tauntingly.

Wait.

What?

The shock of it seemed to snap him back to reality. Was everyone in town losing their minds? First, they magically build an entire city in a day or so, now someone was convinced he was royalty. No, that sounded absurd. Link was the one losing his mind.

Speaking of his mind, it was slowly starting to catch up. None of this made sense. None of it could be real. Something was deeply, deeply wrong. This was not the Hyrule he knew- the Hyrule he knew wasn’t even on its baby legs yet.

He stormed over to what looked like the closet and threw it open, both doors jolting to a stop on the end of their rails. He began going through the clothes, growing more frustrated each time he saw some fancy shirt with flowing sleeves or formal piece of attire. Did he have no armor? No chainmail? His Champion’s tunic was nowhere in sight, and neither was the Hero’s tunic.

A tiny, nagging thought asked him, in the back of his mind, what he even was if he was not a Champion or a Hero. What he was supposed to do. What purpose he had.

There was, to his relief, at least a royal bow hanging on the wall inside and a sword in the corner behind a ceremonial robe. It certainly wasn’t the Master Sword, but it was better than having none.

But still, this was all…so strange. He didn’t know how things could feel familiar and right while he had no recognition of them. This was eerily similar to waking up in the Shrine, which didn’t make him feel better at all, but he supposed it still didn’t compare to waking up cold and alone with no memory at all. That was the main reason he wasn’t more visibly bothered, though his temperament was certainly stable if he’d been able to handle that whole ordeal. Wake up to an unknown voice, get told to save the land, just another day in his life.

Unnerved, he decided to leave the safety of the room and take a wander around. He needed to see just what strange event had taken place to change everything so much.


	2. Chapter 2

Deep down, Link held a quivering fear of change. He had lost everything once- parents he only vaguely remembered, everything before the Calamity, the Champions- that even the scenes he was used to (even though these new ones were seemingly better) suddenly vanishing left him feeling like the world had tilted.

He didn’t want to lose everything- or whatever scraps he had left- and wake up alone again.

Things were starting to shift into place where they hadn’t been before, and he didn’t like it. At some point while he was walking through town, trying to stay unnoticed (and being bothered by the occasional looks people kept throwing his way for whatever reason), it occurred to him that the maid’s name was Felicia. He didn’t know how he knew that, and he didn’t _like_ that.

Feelings and sensations that felt old and new kept subtly resurfacing. Nothing major- only small things. He knew he didn’t like Gaspard, he liked Felicia, and he liked the rice balls made with Goron spice that a specific street vendor was selling and gave him for free. He knew his way to the stables, but they shouldn’t have been so advanced or large. His feet knew the paths and roads around town, even though they had changed slightly.

Epona was dozing away in a stall in the royal stable, larger than the rest with ornamentation on the door, and for some reason, it made Link feel embarrassed. Not because she didn’t deserve it, oh, no, Epona was the best horse in the _universe_. It was simply the same sensation he felt when people stared at him or Felicia had called him a prince. That felt wrong- he didn’t like any sort of spotlight. He’d let Zelda take all of that.

But most of all, what bothered him most was how there didn’t seem to be any _problems_. No one seemed concerned about the Calamity or its effects in the slightest. They didn’t even seem to remember it.

Was Link really going insane? Had all of that been a dream, and this was his actual life? Had he been sick or hallucinating? Was this some sort of other world?

His anxiety culminated in hours of wandering on his own in silence, so deeply bothered by everything surrounding him he ended up just wanting to be alone. The only place that was empty was the castle library, which was ironic, considering he’d never gotten much of a chance to read. He liked it- he’d always read through the books at stables he visited (even if they were gossip journals)- but his journeys never allowed it much time.

It led to him finding what he figured to be the castle historian’s workspace, seeing as there was still ink drying in an open book. It was a record of some sort of town contest that had taken place a month ago. It took him a few seconds, but it occurred to him to look through these records- thinking it would give him some sort of clues as to this “life,” if it even was one.

Low-born parents, knighted due to ability and courage by the King, slightly different than what Zelda had told him once upon a time yet it triggered no memories in him. Apparently they’d died when he was twelve, and Zelda, being fourteen (she was older than him?) and ruling with a regent after her own father died, took him in as her own brother.

All the records said was that this was a decision met with controversy, as he wasn’t _Goddess-born_. Perhaps that was why some people didn’t like him.

And he didn’t like any of this. He couldn’t believe this life was real- this nice, peaceful life where they had a kingdom instead of ruins.

Was he asleep in the Shrine of Resurrection again, dreaming up something comforting?

The thought made a cold pit form in his stomach. It was pure fear, something he didn’t often feel- or let himself feel. He was the Hero of Courage; he couldn’t be stopped by every little fear. But the idea of being there again, cold, alone, and not even knowing it…what if something had happened, what if he’d been gravely injured, and Zelda had to place him there again?

_No…it couldn’t be._

“Master Link? Is everything all right?”

Impa had appeared beside him. Young, alive, in her prime. She wore a collar that covered her nose and left only her eyes visible. It made her look quite intimidating, but _she_ was apparently Zelda’s main guard here, so she had to.

Link nodded. He sat still at a table, staring at an open tome, fiddling with the opal ring he _knew_ he’d been wearing when he went to sleep in the stable. Was it some sort of sign that he actually was dreaming?

Impa frowned at him. He didn’t often say much _literally_ , but he wasn’t communicating with her at all, and it was worrying. “Do you feel unwell? I can fetch the physician for you.”

Link shook his head.

“It’s late,” she noted, which he hadn’t even noticed, but the land beyond the windows was dark. “Come, I will escort you to bed. You’ll catch a cold if you stay up so late.”

She held out her arm and it somehow compelled him to get up. She ushered him out into the hallway, staying just behind his right side in a position he was usually in, that of a bodyguard. It was…odd, for someone to be there to tell him to go to bed. He couldn’t count how many nights he’d camped in the wilderness or realized he just wasn’t going to scale the cliff in one night, so he might as well wait until morning and hope he didn’t roll over.

He had no experience with a young Impa. He clammed up awkwardly the whole way to his room, feeling her eyes on him all the way through the winding halls even though he could have sworn she was staring straight ahead, and finally they were at his door. One of the guards gave him a look as they passed that Link thought looked…concerned, almost.

He reached out to take the doorknob and stopped when she spoke in a wary tone. “Master Link. If anything should be bothering you, I hope you know I will do my utmost to take care of the matter.”

He turned and looked at her, eyes wide and uncomprehending, and said nothing. She squinted at him and tilted her head a degree. It was quite unnerving.

“Please rest,” she said, gesturing at his bedroom, “but remember I am available to help with anything needed, all right?”

Link nodded, wanting to pry himself from her inquisitive gaze, and shuffled into his room. The glow of a Sheikah-made lamp greeted him inside. It looked like a Shrine. Just his luck.

* * *

Waking up in the morning where he’d put himself was almost comforting. When he opened his eyes and saw the unfamiliar and familiar room, it cemented the fact that it was a real thing that was happening to him.

It was still dawn outside, which was strange, because at this hour it was usually already bright. However, Link wouldn’t complain about more time to himself. He didn’t think anyone would be bothering him if it wasn’t yet sunrise.

He pulled himself out of bed and shivered when his bare feet met cold hardwood. He’d simply undressed to sleep, but he figured he probably had bedclothes around somewhere, and people would find it weird if they thought he slept nude for no reason. Merely looking through his closet, however, was…an adventure in itself. He settled on the plainest, simplest clothes he could find, thinking he might get them dirty.

After five solid minutes of sneaking, it was clear he didn’t have to sneak because no one gave him a second glance in the castle even at this hour. He found Zelda’s room by looking for the doorway that was the fanciest. He felt weird about entering, but seeing as she’d told him he didn’t need to knock if he had something to ask and needed to wake her (and they were apparently…siblings here), he stepped inside and took a look around.

There were books and scrolls everywhere, along with open ink bottles and dried quills. Still quite the scholar- at least that hadn’t changed. Tip-toing up to her bed, Link gently nudged her shoulder as she slumbered on peacefully.

“Zelda?” he whispered, a bit more at ease than the day before.

“Mhm- yes?” she muttered through a yawn, not opening her eyes.

“Is it…all right…if I go visit the Temple of Time?”

With another yawn, Zelda readjusted herself in bed and nodded vaguely. “Of course, Link…you don’t…need to ask…just be safe…”

With a hesitant nod, he withdrew and quietly made his way out of her room. While it wasn’t his first choice to leave her side, part of him simply needed to get out of the town and take a breath of fresh air.

“Being safe,” of course, was a phrase they both interpreted much differently.

Being back in Epona’s saddle was a comfort intense enough to make him heave a sigh and release some of the tension in his shoulders. There was hardly anyone on the road at this early hour, so he enjoyed a nice, quiet ride south.

He’d also been lucky enough to find his trusty old disguise in his bedroom chest. It was no doubt the _best_ disguise Link had ever found; no one _ever_ recognized him. He had really no qualms about people thinking he was a woman, either. What was the big deal? If anything, he was glad women at stables didn’t hit on him when he wore it. Usually.

His intent had been to go to the Temple, maybe the Forests of Time and Spirits, perhaps even the Shrine of Resurrection. Maybe something…spiritual would happen. Something to give him a clue as to what had happened to him.

It was remarkable, he had to admit, how clear the roads were. No broken wagons or burnt buildings and no monsters roaming about. Hylian outposts still existed- or was it now existed?

He had to pull Epona to a stop, and stare for almost a full minute, when he caught sight of the Temple. It, too, wasn’t in ruins anymore. It had been rebuilt, but the path leading to the door looked like it had been trod often, like people went there every day. The concept felt…odd.

He dismounted and left Epona grazing. The door swung easily open, not locked; the inside was pristine and calming, with a small fountain in front of the Goddess statue. There were rows of pews, as if people congregated there. He felt…out of place.

Sighing, he walked forward until he reached the statue and sat down cross-legged in front of it. Closing his eyes, he folded his hands together and tried to pray.

_If you can hear me, please give me answers…any answer. Anything._

Whenever he brought Spirit Orbs to the altars, there had always been this soft, strong voice that emanated from within him, giving him a blessing in exchange that increased his vitality or strength. He didn’t hear anything now. After moments passed by in silence, he let out a frown of frustration.

“You look weary,” a voice noted from in front of him.

Link’s eyes flew open. He wasn’t dreaming, but the room was aglow with a soft light, everything outside having gone dark.

It was the same version of himself from his dreams that occasionally spoke to him. Link didn’t know what to call him other than…Link, really, but using his own name felt weird. The other Link didn’t seem to care, though.

“That outfit again, huh?” he chuckled, as if it was an inside joke. “You don’t have to worry. You did succeed in your quest,” the other him said with a promising smile. “You’ve been given a gift. You should be glad to relax.”

“Gift?” Link managed to mumble out, throat feeling hoarse.

“Usually…” the other him paused, as if to find the right words. “Our incarnations are not the same. We are one, but unique. But this is a case of reincarnation. You are still the same. A better life, a better chance. By many standards, you went through more than any of us…the Goddesses have bestowed a gift upon you.”

“…” Link said nothing, furrowing his brow.

“I’m not sure why it happened the way it did, so suddenly, for you,” the Hero went on. “But all things have a purpose. I believe you have a different one here. A chance to save someone from this cycle forever.”

“What?” Link uttered, but the other Hero was already fading. He leaned forward with another smile, placing a hand on his shoulder that felt real. It felt comforting.

“Don’t worry. It will make sense in time.”

Then the spirit left him alone, sitting there, feeling- if anything- much more confused than before. Heaving a sigh, he glanced down at his folded hands.

_That didn’t help any._

* * *

Link might have lost track of time. That tended to happen to him, when wanderlust took ahold of him and he went into the wilderness. He couldn’t help it; it was so much of what he knew. Sometimes he wished he was on his own again, blazing forward into a new set of adventures each day, though the urge made him feel…a little guilty.

He realized he’d wandered too far when he hit cliffs instead of more plains, which meant he’d started to leave Central Hyrule. Zelda knew he could take care of himself, though, so he wasn’t worried. What had it been, a few days? He had more than enough time on his hands.

And since he had that time, he figured he might as well put it to good use. Someone at one of the stables had a problem with his fields; a Lynel had been coming through at night and slaughtering the sheep. Finding random quests and sorting people’s problems was just sort of what Link _did_. He ran into trouble at random and fixed it; that was basically his job in Hyrule most of the time.

He set out to find the Lynel, avoiding a Hylian patrol on the road that seemed urgent about something. He figured they didn’t need him getting in their way, nor did any large group, really. A random passerby looking for a Lynel was better left to go it solo.

He did, however, run across a small encampment of Gerudo the further towards the river he got. He trotted Epona up to one of the border guards, starting with a small wave as he planned out what he wanted to say in his head. He was getting better at speaking to strangers, who didn’t always understand Hylian sign language, but it helped it was usually Gerudo he was speaking to. There was something weirdly comforting about the warrior women.

“Sav’aaq,” the woman said to him, taller than Epona’s withers just standing there. “Traditional vai clothing, all the way out here? Not something I see every day. Is there something you need, little vai?”

“I’m looking for a lynel in the area,” Link said, internally pleased with how much he’d said. The Gerudo cocked a skeptical brow at him.

“If you’re looking for a lynel,” she said, beginning to turn and point southwest. “It’s been spotted in that direction, but I do not recommend taking one on alone. They are extremely dangerous by themselves, let alone if there are other beasts around.”

Link nodded at her in thanks, using a sign even if she wouldn’t understand it.

“Good luck, and be careful,” she called after him as he left.

Link knew better than to think ‘what could go wrong,’ but a regular old lynel wasn’t going to give him much of an issue. Not unless it had shock arrows, it started raining, and all his equipment broke at once.

He knocked on the wooden part of Epona’s saddle horn just in case.


	3. Chapter 3

Link apparently hadn’t knocked hard enough. It started raining, the Lynel had shock arrows, and the shield he’d gotten from the armory had shattered on the first hit because apparently it hadn’t been made properly, because royal shields were definitely _not_ supposed to do that. He still won, however, even if it was much harder than it should have been, because it wasn’t like he didn’t have experience with literally everything that could possibly go wrong going wrong.

The rain did set in for the night, though, which left him quite cold in his Gerudo wear when he came shivering into Outskirt Stable. Unlike the land he remembered, it was built on the edge of a village now, and the Gerudo group he'd passed had taken up residence in a camp nearby. The girl at the front desk gave him a sympathetic look and let him use the bath in the place, and she'd seemed to freshen up his clothes after he was done. He made a note in his head to find some way to thank her- maybe she needed something done, or wanted some materials.

Of course, it was a day where everything went wrong, so he woke up in the morning to yelling and shouting.

"Everyone head into town to the shelter!" the attendant yelled to everyone in the hotel inside the stable, hands cupped around her mouth. "There's a goblin attack coming down from the cliffs, so get inside!"

Link subtly grabbed his sword from beneath his bed and slipped out the back. That advice hardly applied to him, even if he was still in his Gerudo wear. Honestly, he would really like to learn from the Gerudo women some time- it was such a confident move, wearing something that left their entire midriff exposed, without any armor, but they were skilled enough to back it up.

Down the banks of the river, where the land was uneven and the hills created potholes and divots, monsters were descending from the cliffs where the desert began, screaming and waving wooden weapons. Surprisingly, though he spotted a few Hylian guards, it was mostly Gerudo who were rushing in to fight them. Well- he supposed their camp was in danger too. If nothing else, self-preservation made it likely they would help.

He unsheathed his sword and leaped into the fray. It was...a little hard, actually, having to be careful not to hit anyone he didn't intend to. He was so used to fighting alone, taking on entire hordes by himself. How strange it felt to fight with a group as large as this.

He spotted some bokoglins and lizalfos sneaking off from the main group towards an unguarded area of the bank. Distancing himself from the main skirmish in impressive time, he threw himself over a hill and slid down, slicing one from behind before it noticed him. He started picking them off, making sure to get the keese flying overhead as well, lest they fly into town and cause trouble.

He'd crested a larger hill and hit a stretch of rock when he saw the head of a lynel peeking over a rise in the bank. It was focused on something else, so it gave him the perfect opportunity to take a running start and (in Zelda's terms) brashly throw himself over the next hill, straight at it. He angled his blade just right, skewering it through the skull, making sure to drive enough force behind his blow that it came up to the hilt. This allowed him to swing, weighed down enough he didn't fly into the far wall of the tiny little canyon the lynel was in, and come around ready to make a safe landing as his sword came loose.

He wasn't expecting a man to be there. A man that looked like a Gerudo, tall and bronzed and young-looking with red hair tied into a ponytail, looking very surprised as Link came flying at him.

Link let out a startled shout as he collided with the man. He honestly hadn't been expecting anyone to be there, trying to fight a lynel, so he had no way to stop himself. They went crashing to the sandy floor beneath them, and he rolled, twisting so his sword didn't hit the man.

When he settled to a stop it was as if time paused for a moment. The dust settled, and he sat up, bewildered, with a dead lynel in front of him, and he looked to the side, where the man now sat coughing. He brushed himself off, giving the lynel a surveying stare, then turned to Link with a curious raised eyebrow.

"Well, that was quite an impressive move- I've never seen a Hylian vai try something so...courageous," he said, and yes, that was a definite Gerudo accent. The Gerudo did have men, didn't they? They just...didn't actually live in the Gerudo city. He was wearing the clothes designed for male Gerudo, so he must have been. "I am not sure if you got in my way, or I got in yours."

Link stared at him, unsure of what to say, but for once in his life monsters saved the day as three moblins appeared at the mouth to their little enclosure and he leaped to his feet. "Ah," the unfamiliar man crowed with a giant grin. "More, then? Come!"

He swung himself to his feet and grabbed a large sword laying on the ground. He rushed in, leaving Link standing there, and he paused for a moment before following. He wondered if the man was competent- being a Gerudo, he must have been- or like the many ill-equipped travelers Link had saved in his adventures. It only took a few moments, however, to get his answer, because it took hardly any time for the man to cut down two moblins that dwarfed him.

Link took care of the other one without a word and set off for the part of the impromptu battlefield he'd come from. He thought he heard the man say something, but he didn't want to get in his way, and he was also just getting antsy, being around so many people. He really wanted to catch his escape into the woods right about now.

* * *

The attack was taken care of fairly quickly. The townspeople were very grateful to the Gerudo, so much they offered them a variety of gifts and a free stay at their inns. Link wasn't sure if they took the town up on the offer, since he left as soon as he was sure everyone was safe and got back onto the road.

That was where a group of Hylian soldiers found him.

Frankly, it felt like they'd come out of nowhere, surrounding him so quickly Epona let out an anxious whinny. He patted her on the neck, trying to calm her down as she nervously shuffled, and frowned at the soldiers circling him in confusion. He had no idea what the problem is.

"Master Link!"

A ruffled-looking captain emerged from the group, riding up close to him. He took in Link's appearance with a grimace, looking haggard. "The Queen has told you _so_ many times not to do this," he hissed out, which really just confused him more. "And of all times! We are returning to the castle immediately!"

Link might have just made a break for it, but he had no reason to, so that was how he ended up being escorted back to the castle with enough soldiers around him to shield him from prying eyes. The captain threw a cloak over him as soon as he was off Epona and dragged him off, back up to the castle, until they arrived at the throne room, where Zelda was pacing in front of her chair.

"We've found him, ma'am," he said gruffly, letting go of Link like he was poisonous and leaving as quickly as he'd come in. Perturbed, Link rubbed at his arm where the man had been holding him and barely had time to yelp before Zelda threw herself on him.

"Link!" she chastised, holding him close despite how stiff he was. "Honestly, what am I going to do with you? I keep telling you not to go off on your own! You were gone for days!"

Link opened his mouth to try and say something, but he felt too anxious. He shrugged uncomfortably and felt his ears reddening. Zelda pulled back and took in his expression, and seemed to soften. "Link, I know you like to wander around, but you could get really hurt. I can't bear to lose you. Please, could you stop with this habit?"

Link didn't know how to form the words that he didn't understand. He shrugged again, feeling as though he should have had a better retort, and she sighed. Then she glanced down at his outfit and cracked a smile. "That old garb again, huh? I have to admit, it suits you. But it doesn't even offer any protection. If you want to take a walk, at least wear something that covers your navel."

Link coughed awkwardly into his fist. Since when had Zelda ever given him fashion advice?

The door swung open again. It was Gaspard, who took in Link with a derogatory glare. "The Gerudo have arrived, my lady," he said, dropping into a short bow.

That seemed to flip a switch in Zelda. Her hands flew to her hair and searched for imperfections that weren't there as she became more flustered. "Ah, of course! How could I forget- Link, can you please go change? I hardly have a welcome even ready..."

Link nodded jerkily and took the excuse to leave. He left for the door he'd originally gone to his room through, hoping he didn't get lost again, and wondered if he could find something to wear that wasn't absolutely terrible.

* * *

Goddess his clothes were _terrible_.

It wasn't so much the designs, they were just...they were useless! Sure, the Gerudo outfit didn't offer armor protection, but he could roam the desert in it. His Zora armor allowed him to swim like one. His other clothes had all offered protection as well. But these things in his closet were useless.

He ended up just throwing something on without caring much about it. A white pair of trousers, riding boots, and a light blue tunic with long sleeves and white accents, a belt around the waist. At least he'd look stylish if someone tried to stab him.

...Zelda was not, in fact, in the throne room like he'd figured she would be.

Link ended up wandering around growing more and more desperate for almost twenty minutes. He was going to look stupid, given that he was apparently supposed to show up to something, and he had no idea where it was. Couldn't this castle have been smaller?

Hope came in the form of voices floating down an empty hall, however, a grand one leading into a room with a large entryway covered by curtains. Link hesitantly approached them, peeking through a small sliver of a gap, really not wanting to go inside.

"Of course," Zelda's voice said, and he spotted her at the head of the table inside. "It's a pleasant surprise to see you again, Urbosa."

"And you as well, little bird. When it came time for my nephew to visit, I decided to accompany him."

Link pulled the curtain aside just a little bit and did his best to peer towards the other end of the table. The man he'd ran into was sitting there, and sure enough, it was Urbosa standing beside him, among the other Gerudo guards in the room.

_Urbosa?_

So she was here too? Did she remember?

"May I introduce the Guardian of the Desert," Urbosa continued, sounding amused as she gestured at the youth beside her. "Ganondorf Dragmire. For obvious reasons, he cannot reside in the city of the Gerudo itself, but he's instead been tasked with watching over the desert, as a member of the royal family."

_Ganondorf._

_Ganon?_

Link's skin felt cold. He had never dealt with Ganon _dorf_ \- only Ganon- he'd only heard stories, about when Ganon had taken mortal form and gone by that name. Was that who this was? But then, why had he been defending innocent townspeople? He looked nothing like a monstrous overlord, he just looked like a normal Gerudo born man! He was tall, sure, but the women were taller than him, and he was probably only about six feet. He wasn't an imposing giant that looked murderous.

That was when what his predecessor had said popped into his head. _A chance to save someone from this cycle._ Was this what he meant? Was this the...human part of Ganon, the soul the evil reincarnated into every cycle? Was he going to grow three heads and come at him any moment now?

A chance to save, though. That had been what the other Hero meant.

_From what? He seems just fine._

"Forgive us if we were late," the man who was apparently Ganon incarnated said, sounding amused. "We ended up having to fend off a monster attack at Outskirt Village. I admit I was expecting more from the Hylian soldiers."

Zelda's smile became a bit tenser. "My apologies, Mr. Dragmire. I will have to increase our patrols on the outskirts of the kingdom."

"Quality may yet be the problem, not quantity."

Link could see Zelda's grip on her quill become a little tighter. It was a very tiny thing, something he noticed innately for some reason.

"My nephew can have a scathing sense of humor," Urbosa interrupted, obviously holding back a laugh. "I will leave you to be tested as a monarch, little bird. Impa, why don't you show me the barracks? Perhaps we Gerudo can offer some advice on training methods."

"Of course, Urbosa. Through here."

Impa's friendliness was a little surprising. Link watched most of the guards funnel out through the door opposite him.

Zelda and Ganondorf's back-and-forth was honestly not something Link really wanted to butt in on.

"So, if you would like, I can explain the Gerudo's traditions about allyship."

"I am already aware, thank you."

"Oh? Then I'm certain you have a gift prepared?"

"Not...quite. I was concerned with another matter for the last few days. Forgive me."

"Well, I will hold off on mine, then. It would be quite rude to produce it without giving you a chance."

"Thank you for your... _generosity_."

"And what of the prince I have heard of? Very little is spoken of him, for all I've kept an ear open."

"My brother is of no matter in this situation. Do not worry of him."

"Ah, but that is not how it works. Perhaps you do not know as much of Gerudo tradition as you think?"

Link snuck away from the curtain at that point. He had never seen Zelda get irritated enough to hit anyone, but he feared he was about to.

* * *

"Diplomacy may yet prove to be a weakness for you, Kota," a voice said as Link rounded a corner, and he cursed himself for not being more careful.

He was a guard. A protector, someone who stood by while Zelda talked to others. He hadn't wanted to get in on the conversation, and he had no idea what sort of twisted fate decided to make him of all people a prince (an adopted one, but still a prince). Here he thought he had gotten out of attending the meeting, but maybe that would have been a better place to be, because at least Zelda was there, but now he was just standing before Ganondorf and one of the Gerudo in the hall.

"Ah," the woman said, and that was- that was Buliara. Did she recognize-? "Who might you be? Not a servant, I assume, by your dress."

"Uh," Link stammered out, disappointed that she apparently didn't. "I'm..."

"Ah!" she interrupted, eyebrows raising. "I see. You must be the prince."

"Is that so?" Ganondorf raised his eyebrows as well, staring at his face, then recognition flooded his expression, and he grinned. It wasn't a look that inspired anything relaxing, even if it wasn't malicious. "Those earrings," he said, pointing to Link's ears. "And your eyes. You're the vai I met in the battle, aren't you?"

Buliara narrowed her eyes down at him. It was a long way down, considering how tall she was. "You were gallivanting as a vai?" she asked, folding her arms. "Do you often pretend to be a woman?"

"Uh..." Link wished he was anywhere but there, but he may as well be honest. "No?"

Her eyebrows climbed higher. "What, you just enjoy the outfit?"

"...yes."

She stared at him for a moment. Then she realized he wasn't lying, and looked vaguely amused, unfolding her arms. "I see. Well, it suits you!" she laughed. "Just don't go telling many Gerudo you do that. I am Buliara, captain of the Gerudo guard."

"And I am _Ganondorf Dragmire_ , but that is merely the title my sister bestowed upon me," the male Gerudo said, looking just amused as his cohort. "You may call me by name. Kota."

"I'm- Link," Link muttered, impressed by how fairly he was managing in the conversation so far. At least he hadn't clammed up.

"I am impressed by your battle prowess, Link. From what people say, I expected the opposite."

Link blinked. _What people say?_ "What do people say about me?" he asked, curiosity overriding his anxiety, as he wondered if some of the dirty looks he had been getting had something to do with this. Did people talk badly of him?

"Ah." Buliara lost her smile, not wanting to outright insult him, and sighed. "In summary, that you are useless. But the rabble are not to be listened to. Where did you learn to fight like that, little voe?"

"Experience, I guess," Link replied, unsure of what else to say. _I woke up with amnesia and intuitively knew how to kill things_ just didn't sound believable. "If you jump at enough lynels, you learn to duck when they swing their axe."

'Kota' outright laughed at that. "An adventurous spirit! That is much more preferable," he said, preferable to what exactly Link didn't know. "Why don't you accompany me on my tour, then, little prince? I am sure you know the city well."

"As long as you don't call me that again," Link muttered, which made him laugh again, and Buliara chuckle.

"I agree, so long as you do not say Mr. Dragmire as your sister did."


End file.
